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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who wrote "For My Brothers and Sisters in the Failure Business?"
(a) Seymour Krim.
(b) Gayle Pemberton.
(c) G. K. Chesterton.
(d) Joseph Addison.

2. Who wrote "On Being an American?"
(a) Richard Rodriguez.
(b) H. L. Mencken.
(c) Mary McCarthy.
(d) James Baldwin.

3. Before attempting personal essays, what kind of writer was Seymour Krim?
(a) Critic.
(b) Copywriter.
(c) Playwright.
(d) Newspaper reporter.

4. Which is NOT one of the subjects written about by George Orwell?
(a) The American Revolution.
(b) The Great Depression.
(c) The threat of fascism.
(d) The Spanish Civil War.

5. How does Lu Hsun's work create trouble for him?
(a) His work caused him to be ridiculed by members of his home town.
(b) His work revealed money laundering schemes that led to his arrest.
(c) His work revealed that he had a mistress, causing his wife to leave him.
(d) His work is criticized by the Communist government.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which famous author is mentioned in the essay "Once a Tramp, Always...?"

2. What is the author's opinion of public executions in "The Execution of Tropmann?"

3. James Thurber is said to have inspired what, in American essay prose?

4. What is a typical Virginia Woolf focus in her essays?

5. Which of the following is NOT a well-known story written by Robert Louis Stevenson?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Virginia Woolf's personal background impact her work?

2. Describe the important events in Lu Hsun's life that impacted his personal essays.

3. What is Junichiro Tanizaki's contribution to world literature? How has Tanizaki's writing style been characterized?

4. What level of literary output did G. K. Chesterton achieve in his lifetime?

5. What is Ivan Turgenev's opinion of capital punishment? How did Turgenev believe servants should be treated?

6. What tone is Max Beerbohm famous for in his essays?

7. What style is James Thurber known for? What was a common theme in Thurber's writing?

8. What two works of G. K. Chesterton are included in this volume? What are the subjects of these essays?

9. What subject dominated the writings of George Orwell? Name three specific things George Orwell wrote about.

10. How does Seymour Krim's life compare to Mary McCarthy's? How did Krim's childhood impact his writing?

(see the answer keys)

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